In 1971, I wrote to the University of California at Davis, The History of Alexis California and Cornell University in New York asking each Bailly Vineyard if they knew of any that might survive Minnesota winters. The University of California wrote back with a one Original thoughts on starting word answer – No. Cornell University said they did not know a winery in Minnesota that much about Minnesota, but they expected injury on many varieties when winter temperatures drop to -15˚F for even a few By David A. Bailly (1986) minutes. With -30˚F anticipated every winter at the site I had in mind, it was hardly encouraging. he history of Alexis Bailly Vineyard is a history of my involvement in grape growing and wine making at least Cornell had done a comprehensive study of the French Hybrids up until my daughter, Nan Bailly, got actively involved both as to growing characteristics and as to wine quality. The T Kuhlmann 188-2 and the Maréchal Foch, seemed the most beginning in the early 1980’s. I was first a wine lover and appreciator. Starting in the late 1950’s, my wife and I began winter hardy and appeared to make as good a wine as anything drinking the lesser Bordeaux as selected by Fritzi and Benny contained in their study. Their 1969-70 “Vineyard and Cellar Haskell. Gradually, we expanded our palettes into the other Notes” described Maréchal Foch wine as having “consistently of Europe with the aid of Grossman’s Guide to Wines, Spirits and high rating over at least 4 years of testing”. However, I had Alcoholic Beverages. The best wine we could get from California to drink the wine myself, as I had no confidence in New York was Almaden Cabernet (the Haskell’s maintained that they palates with all their foxy wine. Fortunately, I found that Richard pasteurized red wine in California and thus they were not only Vine had bottled a 100% Marechal Foch from the 1971 harvest at inferior but bordering on unpalatable). Gradually, Louis Martini, his Falls Wine Cellars. The wine had a true Burgundian Charles Krug, Inglenook, and Beaulieu Vineyards became style. At a blind tasting it was thought to be a by available in Holtzermans, Haskell’s only retail competitor at the more than one of the judges. In any event, it was more than good time. enough for me. In 1973, I bought 500 Maréchal Foch from Foster Nursery, Fredonia, New York and 1500 from Mori Nursery, Grossman’s was a bible to me. It was the most comprehensive Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario. The vines constituted the first and detailed book of its kind. From it I gradually got involved in plantings at our Alexis Bailly Vineyard, Hastings, Minnesota. fermentation. At first with beer making and then with hard cider and apple wine. My 1962 “Spapple” (it had a slight spritz) was I made my first hybrid wine in 1973 from grown by still quite a hit some ten years later. Elmer Swenson, Star Prairie, Wisconsin and David MacGregor, South Haven, Minnesota. They had both purchased what they In 1971, two events set my course as a serious grape grower and understood to be the Kuhlmann 194-2, the from the wine maker. The one was my first visit to Europe and the second Boordy Nursery in Maryland. The wine I made from those vines was a house move. After 3 weeks in Germany, France, Italy and I like even better than Richard Vine’s Maréchal Foch. So in 1974, Switzerland, convinced me I needed a “business” that would I purchased 2000 Léon Millot vines from the Foster Nursery, bring me periodically to Europe at tax-deductible expense. Of Fredonia, New York (not knowing there was a difference between course, the wine trade was the first and most logical choice. the vines being sold by Boordy as Millot and the vines being sold by Foster as Millot). Since 1977, my daughter Nan and I have The purchase of a larger home with more yard and grounds also been making varietal Léon Millot and Maréchal Foch under our was important. A side yard opened onto the street. In looking Alexis Bailly Vineyard label. In addition, we have been growing for a suitable method of fencing it off, I hit upon the idea of a the Kuhlmann 149-3 (Lucie Kuhlmann) and the Kuhlmann 187-1 green wall of vines – grapevines. Thus began my search for a (the Maréchal Joffre) on an experimental basis. Minnesota hardy wine grape. I knew the Vinifera did not grow well outside California and I under no circumstances would think From the beginning, the Léon Millot has made the best wine and of growing Labrusca vines. I had to find out what else there was. the Maréchal Foch has been the most winter hardy. I recalled that back in 1967 I had tasted a bottle of Boordy Red from Riderwood, Maryland. It was the first time that I had drunk a non-California, American wine that was not foxy and the only eastern wine that had a European style. If such grapes as that made that wine could grow in Minnesota, I would be more than satisfied.

1 Our first commercial vintage was 1977 and the Léon Millot from to note that a survey of Washington State varieties reported in that year was sent to Wineries Unlimited in New York for their the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, Vol. 25, No. competition, but the wine never got judged as the bottle arrived 2, 1974, page 97 describes Lucie Kuhlmann wine as having a broken. The 1978 Léon Millot won a gold medal, the 1979 a Cabernet like flavor. Both the Cabernet and the Riparia have bronze medal, and the 1980 a silver medal. We were so proud been referred to from time to time as having a “grassy” flavor, of the 1981 Léon Millot that we decided to take it to Wineries however, side-by-side they are not at all alike. Unlimited ourselves when the convention was in Washington, D.C. It won nothing. With the 1982, 1983 and 1984 vintages we I have been unable to locate any commercial varietal Maréchal decided to just send the wine and they all won awards. In short, Joffre wine in either Canada or the United States. The Lucie the Léon Millot proved to be a winner year in and year out, Kuhlmann is commercially grown in Washington State, but to nothing less than a wine of fine quality. my knowledge only Mount Baker Vineyards has a varietal on the market. There is also some record of it being commercially In the mean time, the Maréchal Foch was a problem. It had grown in New Mexico. a tendency to be too strong in fruit flavor, developing an herbaceous quality. Eventually, we learned that, whereas the Léon All of the above vines cannot survive Minnesota winters when Millot could and should be left on its skins until the alcoholic grown without winter protection. In Iowa, northern Illinois and fermentation is complete, the Maréchal Foch must be taken off southern Wisconsin they can get through the winter. If it never its skins as soon as there is good color. This together with some got below -20˚ F, I think we might be able to grow them in barrel aging brought the Maréchal Foch around to where the Minnesota without winter cover, but with -30˚ F every year and 1982, 1983 and 1984 wines each garnered an award at Wineries -40˚ F two out of ten years, it is impossible. The Maréchal Foch Unlimited, including a gold for the 1984. Today, we treat the is without question the most winter hardy that can possibly be Maréchal Foch as our popular red, our Beaujolais, keeping it as grown in Minnesota at a very protected site, but for us, the vines light as can be. And our Léon Millot as our top of the line, our must be trained with long (8 to 10 feet) trunks, which are grown Bordeaux, tying to give it as much character as we can. at a 45˚ angle to the ground so after pruning in the fall the vine can be laid down on the ground and covered with dirt or other The Kuhlmann 187-1, the Maréchal Joffre, is also grown to some mulch. Under such cover the temperature of the vine never gets extent in Minnesota. Most of the growers in Minnesota who grow much below 0˚ F. The system is called the Alma Method and is to the Maréchal Foch have had in their vineyard a few vines whose my knowledge unique in the world. fruit turn color much earlier than the Maréchal Foch. The fruit is in loose, long clusters and the vine is generally less vigorous with Because of the situation in Europe, we plan to acquire as many less foliage than the Maréchal Foch. No one knew what the vine of the Kuhlmann hybrids as are still in existence and make a was until Lucie Morton, the Ampelographer, identified it as the permanent collection of them at Hastings, Minnesota. Recently, Maréchal Joffre. Because the taste is very much like the Foch, we have added cuttings of the Pinard (191-1), the Etoile II (237- what little of it we have is now blended in with the Maréchal 2) and the Triomphe d’Alsace (319-1). Foch. It has it’s greatest potential in a short season location, as it can develop 18% sugar clearly a month before anything else is ripe. However, if you leave it until the Marechal Foch is ready, the sugar of the two are about the same, 21 – 22%.

The Lucie Kuhlmann is for me the most interesting of the Kuhlmann hybrids I know because it has a fruit flavor that is very definitely Riparia. In Minnesota, the Riparia grows wild and can be found on fencerows and in wooded areas all over southern and middle Minnesota. Although it may be found in other parts of the world, as far as we are concerned, its home is Minnesota where it can “suffer” under -30˚ F every year and even an occasional -40˚ F without sign of injury. The Alexis Bailly Vineyard “Country Red” wine has always had some Riparia in it to give it a Minnesota Flavor. The Riparia can only be used in a blend because of its high acidity (3%) and its very strong fruit flavor. The Lucie Kuhlmann is a commercial Riparia; that is, self-pollinating and with workable levels of sugar, acidity and fruit flavor. Eugene Kuhlmann is said to have preferred the Lucie Kuhlmann to all of his other creations, as it was for him similar to the Cabernet Sauvignon. In this connection it is interesting 2